'Science & Tech News' Category Archives

Scientists have located a group of brain cells which they believe are responsible for inducing anxiety. While the cells have only been identified in mice, it’s quite likely that they also exist in humans. “We call these anxiety cells because they only fire when the animals are in places that are innately frightening to them,” […]

Humanity has pondered the existence of alien life for centuries. However, it has been in just the past 100 years or so that modern science has backed some of this thinking. Scientists of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s believed that objects appearing on the surface of Mars were canals constructed by aliens. Particularly, astronomer […]

New research found that orcas (Orcinus orca) astoundingly imitate human speech, conveying words such as “hello”, “bye bye” or “one, two.” They do so in their own way, in a distinct, high pitched call. Credit: Pixabay. Orcas are phenomenally intelligent marine mammals which interact with peers in a complex social environment. They travel in close-knit […]

A pole reversal is always preceded by a weakened magnetic field, meaning more cosmic radiation will hit Earth’s surface. Credit: NASA. Throughout its history, Earth’s magnetic poles have flipped regularly. The last time this occurred was around 786,000 years ago, and judging from the paleomagnetic data which researchers studied, we’re in for a new pole […]

Three-dimensional recordings like those carried by R2D2 in the Star Wars film are closer to reality than you’d think. Examples of the colour and resolution quality of the images. Image credits Smalley et al., 2018, Nature. Brigham Young University (BYU) professor and holography expert Daniel Smalley has wanted to recreate the scene ever since we […]

Biology’s ‘ugly duckling’ cannot cease to amaze us. Researchers have analyzed a large trove of data on historical naked mole-rat lifespan and discovered something truly amazing. Not only do the naked mole-rats live 5 times longer than a similar-sized mammal, but they also do not show any signs of aging whatsoever. Credits: Flickr/Tim Evanson Naked […]

An extremely rare celestial coincidence is sending us over the moon. The January 31st supermoon will feature a total lunar eclipse, as well as a blue moon – and this almost never happens. A lunar trilogy The 2011 supermoon as it is seen rising near the Lincoln Memorial. Image Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls. A Supermoon is […]

Researchers drilling into the Earth’s mantle have made an unexpected finding: analyzing rocks which came from 550 km below the surface, they discovered highly oxidized iron, similar to the rust we see on our planet’s surface. Diamonds with garnet inclusions can form at depths down to 550 kilometers below the surface. Image credits: Jeff W. […]

We need to start looking into the possibility that there are viruses living beyond the confines of our planet, argues Portland State University biology professor Ken Stedman. Model of a virus. Image credits Tom Thai / Flickr. Humanity has been thinking of life outside of the confines of Earth since times immemorial. It started with […]

A new study based on recent findings might shed a new light on annelids (ringed worms). Researchers now have solid evidence that these animals developed heads more than 500 million years ago. An extremely well-preserved fossil also suggests how the head evolved in the first place. A fossil dating from the Cambrian, more than 500 […]

These tiny ping pong ball-sized eggs may look unassuming, but they’re being used to crack down on poachers in North and Central America. Sea turtle eggs are considered to be an aphrodisiac and a delicacy, and they can sell for anywhere between $5 to $20 a pop on the black market. That’s why conservation group […]

Master your Android phone. Customize your phone to better suit your needs. Adrien via Unsplash Android phones come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, but within, they all run the same basic operating system. That Android code includes settings that let you tailor your smartphone to your needs. In this guide, we collected […]